Machine for manufacturing wood so as to be used as a substitute for



W. BAKER. CUTTING WOOD INTO P tedMay 30, 1842.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. BAKER;- CUTTING WOOD INTO sHREmn No. 2,654;Patented. May 30, 1842.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFrioE.

\VM. BAKER, OF UTICA, NEV YORK.

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING WOOD S0 AS TO BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FORCURLED HAIR IN STUFFING BEDS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 2,654, dated May 30, 1842.

To all whom 2'75 may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM BAKER, of thecity of Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful mode of manufacturing from wood, such ascedar, basswood, poplar, and other straight-grained wood, a commodity tobe used as a substitute for curled hair in stuffingucushions,mattresses, and the like, and also to be used as a substitute for ragsin the manufacture of paper; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full and exact description.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction of a machine, bywhich the wood is cut lengthwise of the grain into fine threads, orfibers, which are so curled and crimped by the same process, that whenin the mass they constitute a light and elastic article suited to thepurposes aforesaid.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use in invention, Iproceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure l of the drawings hereto annexed shows the elevation of themachine.

The frame work A B is erected to give the operating portion of themachine, which is placed upon it, suilicient elevation for convenience,and to allow room below for the stuffing which falls from the planes asit is produced. It 1s constructed of timbers SlX inches square. The twoparallel sills C C ten feet long, lying two and a half feet from eachother, and connected by ties at each end and in the middle, form thefoundation frame. On these sills are erected the upright posts D D D Dwhich are two and. a half feet in height, and which are also connectedat the top by the girths I I. These girths support the cheek pieces, orwooden rails M M, each feet long, nicely leveled and firmly fitted tothe frame. And the whole superstructure is supported by the braces P P,extending from the outside of the girths I I each way to the end ties ofthe foundation frame. On the upper side of the cheek pieces extendingfrom end to end thereof, are placed the iron rails seen at (Z f 6. Theseare of the ordinary description of the slide rail used in othermachinery; consisting of a plate of about two inches in width, with araised tongue from end to end on the upper side. These tongues arenicely planed off, and the plates being screwed down on the cheekpieces, are so adjusted, that the tongues on both cheek pieces, are ona. perfect level, and parallel to each other, and nineteen inches apart.A plane quadrangular cast iron slide frame A B Fig. 6, with grooves inthe under sides of the portions C C C Qprojecting from the bottom,fitted to the tongues on the rails, and made of sufiicient strength tocarry the planes is laid on these rails in such a manner as to moveeasily thereon, and in an exact horizontal line. On this slide frame twoplanes K and N, Fig. 1, are placed,-the stocks of which are of wood andabout three feet in length. These with their faces turned upward arefastened down on the cross bars, or heads of the slide frame, by screwbolts from beneath, through the cross bars into nuts let into the sidesof the plane stocks. Each plane stock has three cutters. Two of each setare alike, and are of the description shown in Fig. 3. They are madewith legs, or straps A A at the sides to wedge upon by narrow wedges atthe sides of. the plane throat, leaving the blade, encept the sides,only one and a quarter inches in depth, as shown in the figure at B, sothat a free passage may be allowed when in the stock, for the materialwhich iscut off by the next tool in the rear to fall through the throatof the plane, passing between these straps to prevent choking up. Informing the blade of these cutters, after the iron is forged out, theblade is ground off to a bevelon both ides. Each side being thus made topresent an oblique plane, tapering to the edge, similar to thatexhibited on one side of the blade of an ordinary plane iron, theimmediate edge being left of a thickness equal to about one twentieth ofan inch, and is ground off perfectly straight. The oblique planes thusformed on both sides of the blade are then edge: that being about onetwentieth of an inch as before mentioned. These grooves being cut onboth sides of the blade, and those on the one side falling between thoseon the other, the edge of the cutter when finished presents the form ofthe zigzag line shown in Fig. 5, forming a succession of angular gougeson both sides of the edge of the cutter for the whole width of itsblade. These are sharpened to an edge, by a fine triangular file, and anoil stone or emery wheel, ridged up to correspond with the grooves inthe cutter. The other or third cutter in each set, is of the form of acommon plane iron, having a smooth blade as shown in Fig. 4. The cuttersare all two and a half inches in width. These small angular gouges, ofwhich the edges of the fluted cutters are formed separate the threadsfrom the surface of the wood. This it is evident they would do, if asingle cutter of this kind were to be set in the usual manner of a planeiron in a common plane stock and worked in the ordinary way by hand. Andit is also evident that the surface of the wood from which threads arethus taken, would be left in ridges, corresponding to the grooves in thecutter. To take off the apex of these ridges and leave the surfacesmooth again, prepared for the next blow is the ofliceof the smoothcutter, or common plane iron last mentioned. This is set in the rear ofthefluted cutters, and cutting nearly to the same depth with them, takesoff the ridges each of which also forms a thread of the manufacturedarticle. Two of these fluted cutters aroused in each plane because, bysettingthe roar one in the stock, so that its gouges or points do notfollow in the trench made by that before it, but pass between and dividethe ridges imperfectly formed by the first, finer, and more uniformthreads are produced. The ridges to be taken off by the smooth cutter inthe rear,

are more perfectly formed without cutting so deep, andthe articleproduced by the smooth cutter is not flat as it would be,-1f one flutedcutter only was used, but triangu- 1 lar in its shape, being taken fromthe apex of a perfectly formed ridge.

The gouges ,on one side only of the fluted cutters do execution at thesame time. Those on the other side do not at the same time come incontact with the wood. When the points or angles of the gouges on oneside, therefore, become dull by use, the cutter may be turned over, andthose on the other side used also, before sharpening. If

r it were not for the advantage of using both sides of the cutter beforesharpening, there would be no utility in the oblique plane, or, bevel onmore than one side of the cutter, as the blade might otherwise bebeveled on one side, and be flat on the other, like the blade of thesmooth cutter. The blade might then be fluted on both sides, and theedge formed would be the same as before described, but in that case thepoints or gouges on the bevel side only could be used, as the edge wouldnot be presented to the wood at the same pitch if the cutter was turnedover.

The cutters being formed as here described, they are placed in the planestock, at about the same pitch of ordinary plane irons, the threecutters occupying about four inches in length of the face of the plane,being about two inches apart. The hindmost one, or smooth cutter, iswedged in thestock, the same as any common plane iron. The two forward,or fluted ones, are wedged upon their straps or legs at the sides of theplane throat by narrow wedges fitted for the purpose, leaving as largean opening for the passage of the article produced as may be. r

The plane stock is three feet long, three inches thick and five incheswide. The throat for the reception of the cutters is one entire openingfrom the bearing of the smooth cutter in the rear, extending two inchesin front of the forward fluted cutter, and slots or gains are cut in thecheeks or sides of the throat for the bearings of the fluted cutters, towhich narrow wedges are fitted to secure these cutters. The smoothcutter is wedged like any common plane iron against the solid wood atthe back end of the throat. The cutters being set for a proper depth ofcutting, and securely wedged in the stock, the face of the plane isturned upward,.and it is laid on its back upon the iron slide frame, andbolted down as before described.

The timber to be worked up into stufling is prepared by sawing it intotwo inch planks, and then cutting the planks into two feet lengths. Themachine cuts from the edge of the two foot piece, until all but a smallremnant is cut up.

The two upright stands F and S, seen at the right and left over theplanes (Fig. 1) are erected for the purpose of holding the piece ofplank to be cut, and to keep it firm and steady during the process ofcutting,

the plank standing edgewise on the face of I the plane. These stands arealike; the face of both which are presented inward are the same. Thelower ends of the upright pieces 0 O, R R, are let into the sides of thecheeks M M, and firmly secured by screws, being first connected by thecross girth T T, U U. These upright side pieces are made of two inchplank, and are two feet in length. They are so placed as to bring thelow-er cross girth within half an inch of the face of the planes.Vertical back boards, about six inches wide, are nailed up against theinside of these cross girths, im mediately over the planes, and cleats,0r guards, placed up and down on the face of these, forming a channelfor the end of the plank to slide down in, and to hold it steady. Theinside guard g 9 over each plane is stationary, but the others it h areof greater width and movable sidewise, so that they may be adjusted tothe thickness of the plank, and then ,be set up against the back boardand kept to their places by the thumb screws shown upon their face. Backboards and guards are prepared in this manner, on the inside of each ofthe upright stands F and S, and over each plane, and the stands are setat such a distance from each other that their back boards are two feetapart, or the length of the plank to be cut. The piece of plank to becut up is now slipped down between the back boards, its ends passingbetween the guards thereon, until its lower edge reaches the face of theplanes. The movable guards at the ends are then adjusted to it, and setup by the screws against the back boards. The shaft and wheel 9 r andthe apparatus conected with them, are contrived to assist in holding theplank while cutting, and to feed it out to the plane, by giving to thecutters an equal quantity at each blow. And as all the cutters in oneplane cut at the same time, and in one direction only, this apparatus isintended to hold the plank stationary during the return motion of theplane, and thus prevent the friction and wearing of the cutters whichwould other- .wise take place during their return motion.

t t, on cross shafts, extending along the .in-

side of the lower girths of the upright stands, and immediately underthe ends of the back boards. These shafts turn in bearings filled to thesides of the uprightpieces 0, and 1'. On each of these cross shafts, and

immediately under the ends of the back boards, in a position to comeslightly in contact with the end of the plank as it passes down, is acylindrical whur, of a length corresponding to the thickness of theplank and fluted from end to end into sharp angular teeth. One of thesewhurs is seen at G. These crossshafts being made to turn inward, ortoward each other, by the miter wheels on the same being placed with inthose on the shaft g, at both connections, the fluted whurs grasp therespective ends of the plank as it passes down. The plank being thusheld by the whurs on the cross shafts, it is evident that if the shaft qis turned in either direction the plank will be raised or depressedaccordingly.

A slight movement of the shaft 9, and a corresponding depression of theplankat each blow, is effected as follows. The periphery 0f the ratchetwheel a" being cut into small ratchet teeth the position of the bearingsof its shaft is such as to bring the circumference of the wheel over theouter edgeof the iron slide frame, on which the planes are placed. Thesmall iron frame A, Fig. 2, is constructed, consisting of a back plate Cabout eight inches in, length, with a short plate projecting at each endD D, sutlicient to admit of gage holes, three fourths of an inch indiameter, drilled through them. The movable slide bolt '0 e is thenconstructed, the upper part of which is turned off so as to move easilyin the gage holes in the projecting plates D D, and this is slipped upthrough these gage holes as seen in the figure. The lower part of theslide bolt issquare, and has a shive or roller in its lower end to standupon when attached to the machine. A hole is drilled through the squarepart of this bolt parallel to the axis of the roller, and the catch a iis nicely turned off, and fitted to move easily in this hole, the end ibeing shaped to fit the notches in the periphery of the ratchet wheel1", against which the catch is constantly pressed by the wire spring (Z,the upper end of which is bent over and in serted in a small hole in theupper projecting plate, D; the lower end being made to press gentlyagainst the end of the catch at a. The ratchet wheel 7" in this figure,presents a side view of the wheel 1" in Fig. 1. It is here drawn, asisalso the catch frame connected with it, on an enlarged scale, andshows the manner in which the ratchet wheel is operated uponiby thecatch a z' when the proper motion is given to the slide bolt e c ashereafter described. The back plate 0; containing the slide bolt, thecatch,

. and the springas seen in the figure, is now screwed in an uprightposition to a board nailed to the back of the upright stand F, Fig. 1,as seen at w, in such a manner as to bring the catch a i Fig; 2 incontact with the teeth of the ratchet wheel as shown in that figure. Theslide bolt 0 c Fig. 2 standing on the roller or shive. c in its lowerend, and resting on the horizontal bar X Y Fig. l.

The bar X Y Fig. l, is a square strip of two inch plank, about threefeet in length, planed offtotrue lines, and screw-ed down on the sidebar of the slide frame, and extending out to the left beyond the lengthof the slide frame as seen at X, about eighteen inches, or far enough toform a support for the slide bolt in whatever position the slide frame,bearing the planes, may be, in performing its reciprocating motionhereafter described. The slide bolt V7 is stationary except a slightvertical motion hereafter described.

The wooden bar X Y a might be dispensed with by extending the side ofthe slide frame to an equal length to the left as at X, and planing offits upper side, to a true horizontal line, for the slide bolt l/V torest upon. The catch thus placed in contact with the ratchet wheel ismade to fall at every blow of the slide frame and plane, and to seizethe next tooth below in the ratchet wheel, and to raise the same to theplace of the former, and turn the wheel a corresponding distance, bymeans of a slight depression in the surface of the horizontal bar X Y,on which the slide bolt stands, which depression is shown at Y, and isat a point occupied by the slide bolt, when the slide frame is at itsfarthest extent to the left, or in the direction of the ratchet wheel,in performing its reciprocating motion. Into this depression'the boltfalls, as

notch in the wheel.

the slide frame in its movement, brings this depression immediatelyunder it, and car rieswith it the movable catch which slips over thetooth in the ratchet wheel next below, and is forced by the wire spring,bearing against itsopposite end into the next As the slide framereturns, the movable bolt rises from the depression in the surface ofthe bar X Y into which it had fallen, the higher plane thereon beingforced under it, and by the catch fastened upon the tooth of the ratchetwheel as before described, raises the same and turns the wheel suddenlyin a corresponding degree, and through that the cross shafts with thefluted whurs which hold the plank. Thus the plank is suddenly depressedat the commencement of each blow, and immediately before the cutterscome in contact with the wood. I

The ratchet catch a with the spring I) pressing upon it, is used for thepurpose of holding thewheel, and preventing its turning back, when thecatch in the slide bolt W on the opposite side of the wheel falls toseize another tooth in the wheel.

Each plane is furnished with this feeding apparatus; and as the planes,although moving together do their execution in contrary directions, thisapparatus for the respective planes, works at opposite ends of the slideframe, as well as on opposite sides of the machine. The throats Z Z a nof the planes Fig. 1, are shown without the cutters, ex-

hibiting the diagonal slots or gains Z Z and n non the farther oropposite sides of the threats, in which the fluted cutters are to befastened by narrow wedges as before described. The corresponding placesfor the cutters on the other side of each plane throat, cannot be seenin the figure. These wedging places are seen pitched in contrarydirections, as the cutters in the respective planes do their executionin contrary directions. Those in the plane K cut to the right, and thosein N to the left. The object of which is to equalize the resistance tothe propelling power.

For greater durability, and for convenience in setting the cutters, acast iron throat or jack is made for each plane with proper bridges atthe sides, similar to those before described for the wooden stock, andthe cutters being fitted to the cast iron throat this is let into theplane stock, in such a manner that its face is level with the face ofthe stock. It is then screwed down to the stock, by screw bolts from theunder side. WVhen the cutters require sharpening, this iron throat, orjack is taken out, the tools sharpened and reset, and the whole againreplaced in the plane stock for use. By the use of duplicate jacks andcutters, one set of tools may thus be repaired and sharpened, while theother set is used. The propelling power is applied to the slide framethrough the pitman E, one end of which is fitted to take hold of a Wriston the end of the slide frame between the planes K and N. The other,which is here broken off, is attached to a crank, or wrist on a flywheel, which describes a circle in its movement, the diameter of whichis equal to the length of the movement required of the planes. And asthe plank to be cut is two feet in length, and the three cutters take upfour inches on the face of the plane, the length of the stroke must beat least two feet four inches. About three fourths of an inch more thanthis is found useful to enable the feeding apparatus time to work toadvantage.

The machine being set in motion, by giving a crank motion to the outerend of the pitman E' of the magnitude above mentioned, the slide framewith the planes K and N are thrown back and forth on the iron rails (Z fe in an exact horizontal line, each of the cutters taking threads fromthe under edge of the plank, while this by the same movement is by thefeeding apparatus, before described, depressed at the commencemento-fevery blow, and then held there till. a course of threads is takenoff, and the plane is brought back. The commodity .thus cut off from theplank falls through the throat of the plane, upon the floor below, beingat the same time so curled and crimped by the process as to need nothingfurther to be done to render it fit for use,

except shaking up and loosening by hand,

or with a. pitchfork. It is in this state used in the place of curledhair, moss and other articles for stufling mattresses, cushions and thelike; or is ground up in the manner of grinding rags for the manufactureof paper.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is.

The combination of the fluted cutters with the smooth cutter for thepurposes of producing the article herein described, and combined, andconnected With the machine their arrangement in the plane stock, as asherein set forth.

above set forth to 'ether with the adaptation, to the uses of themachine, of the ap- VILLIAM BAKER paratus above described for holdingthe tim- WVitnesses:

her and feeding out the same to the plane BENJN. F. BnooKs,

as the surface is cut away, the Whole being CHAS. A. MANN.

